Hangraphy
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Hangraphy (maybe 漢抓?) is a system for representing Indo-European roots with Han characters (漢字, hanzi). After having done so, we can add a kind of okurigana for inflections and such and we have a readymade scheme to represent all Indo-European languages. Oversimplificated? You betcha.
For an example, we can take the numbers, which are pretty basic.
1 | 一 | *oi-[no-] | en: one, ru: один, la: unus, etc. |
2 | 二 | *dwo- | en: two, es: dos, grc: δύο, ... |
3 | 三 | *tri- | en: three, fr: trois, de: drei ... |
4 | 四 | *kʷetwor- | en: four |
5 | 五 | *penkʷe | en: five |
6 | 六 | *(s)(w)eḱs | en: six |
7 | 七 | *septem | en: seven |
8 | 八 | *oḱtō | en: eight |
9 | 九 | *newn | en: nine |
10 | 十 | *deḱm | en: ten |
Since words get borrowed about so much, some diverse words in a language may be spelled with the same zi, e.g. 一 goes in English words derived from "one", such as "alone" or "only", but it also goes in words of Latin origin such as "unique" or "union".
Of course some of these words inflect, so the Latin word for "one", for example, won't just be 一, but perhaps something like 一us, 一a, 一um.
Characters
IE | Meaning | English | Latin | Greek | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
至 | *ad- | to, near, at | at | ad | |
驅 / 趕 | *ag- | to drive, draw, move | ag(o), ag(ere), eg(i), ac(tus) | ||
日 | *agh- | a day (considered as a span of time) | day, daw(n) (d- is a bit suss) | ||
田 | *agro- | field (probably derivative of *ag-) | acre | ager, agr(i) | |
擁 | *aik- | to be master of, possess | ough(t), owe, ow(n) | ||
襲 ? | *aim- | copy | aem(ulus); im(itor), im(itari), im(itatus) | ||
欲 | *ais- | to wish, desire | as(k) | ||
壽 ? | *aiw-, ayu- | vital force, life, long life, eternity | ? | aev(um); ae(tas); ae(ternus) | (→eon) |
鋒 | *ak- | sharp | egg (to egg on), ha(mmer)? | ac(us); ac(er), ac(ris), ac(re) | |
水 | *akʷ-ā- | water | is(land) | aqu(a) | |
另 | *al- | beyond | o(ther), el(se) | il(le)?; ul(s), ul(tra); al(ter); al(ius) | (→allo-) |
育 | *al- | to grow, nourish | ol(d), el(der) | al(tus); al(mus); al(o), al(ere), al(ui), al(tus) | |
全 | *al- | all | all, al(beit), al(ready), al(so), al(though), al(ways) | ||
白 | *albho- | white | elf? | alb(us) | |
幻 ? | *alu- | in words related to sorcery, magic, possession, and intoxication | ale | ||
圍 | *ambhi, m̥bhi | around (probably *ant-bhi, from both sides) | ? | amb(io); amb(ulo) | (→amphi-) |
*an- | on | on | |||
吸 | *anə- | to breath | ani(mus); ani(mal) | (anemos) | |
緊 | *angh- | tight, painfully constricted, painful | |||
鬼 ? | *ansu- | spirit, demon | |||
前 | *ant- | front, forehead | |||
離 | *apo-, ap- | off, away | |||
合 | *ar-, arə- | to fit together | |||
爍 | *arg- | to shine, white; the shining or white metal, silver | |||
燃 ? | *as- | to burn, glow | |||
行 / 年 | *at- | to go; with germanic and latin derivatives meaning a year (conceived as "the period gone through, the revolving year") | |||
火 | *āter- | fire | |||
覺 | *au- | to perceive | |||
增 | *aug- | to increase | |||
耀 | *aus- | to shine | |||
禽 / 鳥 / 隹 | *awi- | bird | |||
伯 / 叔 / 舅 | *awo- | an adult male relative other than one's father | |||
朝 | *ayer- | day, morning | |||
銅 | *ayes- | a metal, copper or bronze | |||
杖 | *bak- | staff used for support | |||
強 | *bel- | strong | |||
耀 ? | *bhā- | to shine | |||
曰 / 云 | *bhā- | to speak | |||
*bha-bhā- | broad bean | ||||
好 / 良 | *bhad- | good | |||
分 | *bhag- | to share out, apportion, also to get a share | |||
臂 | *bhāgu- | arm | |||
柏 | *bhāgo- | beech tree | |||
鬚 | *bhardh-ā- | beard | |||
麥 | *bhares-, bhars- | barley | |||
擊 | *bhau- | to strike | |||
奔 | *bhegʷ- | to run | |||
蜂 | *bhei- | a bee | |||
*bheid- | to split; with Germanic derivatives referring to biting (hence also to eating and to
hunting) and woodworking | ||||
信 | *bheidh- | to trust, confide, persuade | |||
耀 ? | *bhel- | to shine, flash, burn; shining white and various bright colors | |||
脹 | *bhel- | to blow, swell; with derivatives referring to various round objects and to the notion of tumescent masculinity | |||
花 | *bhel- | flower, thrive, bloom | bloom, blossom, [blood] | flos, folium | φύλλον |
膨 | *bhelgh- | to swell | |||
繫 / 束 / 縛 | *bhendh- | to bind | |||
負 / 孕 | *bher- | to carry; also to bear children | |||
*bher- | bright, brown | ||||
亮 | *bherəg- | to shine; bright, white | |||
隱 | *bhergh- | to hide, protect | |||
高 | *bhergh- | high; with derivatives referring to hills and hill-forts | |||
呼 / 吸 | *bhes- | to breathe | |||
覺 / 察 | *bheudh- | to be aware, to make aware | |||
存 / 生 | *bheuə-, bheu | to be, exist, grow | |||
彎 | *bheug- | to bend; with derivatives referring to bent, pliable, or curved objects | |||
吹 | *bhlē- | to blow | |||
溢 | *bhleu- | to swell, well up, overflow | |||
裸 | *bhoso- | naked | |||
兄 / 弟 | *bhrāter- | brother, male agnate | |||
斷 | *bhreg- | to break | |||
沸 | *bhreu-, bhreuə-, bhreəu- | to boil, bubble, effervesce, burn; with derivatives referring to cooking and brewing | |||
眉 | *bhrū- | eyebrow | |||
分 | *dā- | to divide | |||
分 | *dail- | to divide | |||
*daiwer- | husband's brother | ||||
涙 | *dakru- | tear | lacri(ma) | δάκρυ(ον) | |
此 / 是 | *de- | demonstrative stem, base of prepositions and adverbs | |||
顯 / 宣 | *deik- | to show, pronounce solemnly; also in derivatives referring to the directing of words or objects | |||
納 | *dek- | to take, accept | |||
十 | *dekm | ten | |||
右 | *deks- | right (opposite left); hence, south (from the viewpoint of one facing east) | dex(ter) | δεξ(ιός) | |
長 | *del- | long | |||
計 / 數 | *del- | to recount, count | |||
戶 | *dem- | house, household | |||
*demə- | to constrain, force, especially to break in (horses) | ||||
歯 | *dent- | tooth | |||
剝 | *der- | to split, peel, flay; with derivatives referring to skin and leather | |||
見 | *derk- | to see | |||
堅 / 木 | *deru-, dreu- | to be firm, solid, steadfast; hence specialized senses "wood", tree" and derivatives referring to objects made of wood | |||
缺 | *deu- | to lack, be wanting | |||
*deu- | to do, perform, show favor, revere | ||||
久 | *deuə-, dwaə | long (in duration) | |||
領 | *deuk- | to lead | |||
置 | *dhē- | to set, put | |||
暖 | *dhegʷw- | to burn, warm | |||
吮 | *dhē(i)- | to suck | |||
建 / 築 | *dheigh- | to form, build | |||
支 | *dher- | to hold firmly, support | |||
勇 | *dhers- | to venture, be bold | |||
示 / 祭 ? | *dhēs- | root of words in religious concepts | |||
流 | *dheu- | to flow | dew | ||
死 / 亡 | *dheu- | to die | dea(d), dea(th), die | ||
深 / 虛 | *dheub-, dheubh- | deep, hollow | deep | ||
成 ? | *dheuə- | to close, finish, come full circle (probably related to *dheu-, to die) | tow(n) | fu(nus) | |
造 | *dheugh- | to produce something of utility | ? | (teukhos) | |
土 | *dhghem- | earth | ? | hum(us); hom(o), hom(inis) | (khthon) |
昨 | *dhgh(y)es- | yesterday | yes(terday) | ||
插 / 修 ? | *dhīgʷ- | to stick, fix | dig? | fig(o), fig(ere), fixi=fic(si), fixus=fic(sus); fi(bula) | |
*dhreg- | to draw, glide | drink, drench, drow(n) | |||
驅 | *dreibh- | to drive, push; snow | drive, drove | ||
落 | *dhreu- | to fall, flow, drip, droop | drea(ry), dro(p), droo(p) | (thruptein) | |
女 / 閨 / 娘 | *dhugəter- | daughter | |||
門 | *dhwer- | door, doorway (usually plural) | door | for(as); for(is); for(um) | (thura) |
(play) 玩 / 耍 / 嬉 | *dlegh- | to engage oneself | play | maybe (in)dulg(eo) | |
舌 | *dn̥ghū- | tongue | tongue | lingu(a) | |
給 / 予 | *dō- | to give | d(o), d(are), de-d(i), d(atus) | (didonai, dosis, doron) | |
惡 | *dus- | bad, evil, mis- (derivative of *deu-, to lack) | (→dys-) | ||
二 | *dwo- | two | two, twe(lve), twe(lfth) | du(o), bi(s), bi(ni) | (duo) |
神 | *dyeu- | to shine (and in many derivatives "sky, heaven, god") | Tue(sday) | di(es); de(us); div(us); di(s), di(tis); div(es), div(itis); Iup(piter), Iov(is); Iu(lius) | (Zeus, delos) |
食 | *ed- | to eat (original meaning "to bite") | eat | ed(o), ed(ere), ed(i), ed(itus); (pran)d(ium) first meal | |
居 | *es- | to be | a(m), is; ye(s) | es(se), s(um), es, es(t), s(umus), es(tis), s(unt) | (einai) |
來 | *gʷā-, gʷem- | to go, to come | come, (wel)come, (be)come | ven(ire) | (bainein) |
貝 | *ko(n)kho- | shell[fish] | – | coc(h)lea | κόγχος, κόχλος |
火 | *peH2wr | fire | fire | — | πῦρ, pyro- |
矯 / 王 ? | *reg- | to move in a straight line, with derivatives meaning to direct in a straight line, lead, rule | righ(t)=矯了; rake (also rajah, maharajah from Sanskrit) | reg(o), reg(ere), rexi=rec(si), rec(tus)=矯了us; rex=rec(s); reg(ula); rog(o), rog(are), rog(are), rog(avi), rog(atus)=矯了us Homograph Alert! | (oregein) |
響 / 音 / 聲 | *swen- | to make sound | [swan] | sono, sonare; sonus=音us | — |
下 | *upo- | down, below, under | up [!] | sub | ὑπό, hypo- |
見 | *weid- | to see | wit, wi(se)=見了 | vid(eo), vid(ere), vid(i), vi(sus) | |
勝 / 克 | *weik- | to fight, conquer | vinc(o), vinc(ere), vic(i), vic(tus)=勝了us |
IE | English | Latin | Greek | German | Mandarin Chinese | Japanese | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
生 | *seuH- [give birth] | so(n) | Soh(n) | shēng | じょう | ||
飲 | *peH₃(i)- [drink] | po(tus), bi-b(o) | πόσ(ις), πί(νω) | yǐn | の(む) | ||
耳 | *H₂eus- | ear | aur(is) | οὖς | Ohr | ěr | みみ |
目 | *okʷ- | eye | oc(ulus) | Auge | mù | め | |
父 | *pH₂ter- | father | pater, patr(is) | Vater | fù | ちち | |
魚 | *peisk- | fish | pisc(is) | Fisch | yú | さかな | |
制 / 法 / 規 | *yewes- [law] | ius, iur(is), ius(tus) | zhì / fǎ / guī | ||||
地 | *lendh- | land | Land | dì | ち | ||
男 / 雄 | *wiH-ro (or *Hner-?) [male] | (were-) | vir | nán / xióng | ひと | ||
女 / 雌 | *gʷenH- [female] | (queen) | γυνή | nǚ / cí | おんな | ||
中 | *medhi- | mid, midd(le) | medi(us) | zhōng | なか | ||
母 | *maH₂ter- | mother | mater, matr(is) | μήτηρ | Mutter | mǔ | はは |
鼠 | *mūs- | mouse | mus, mur(is) | μυς | Maus | shǔ | ねずみ |
雪 | *sneigʷh- | snow | nix=nic(s), niv(is) | *νίψ (νίφα) | Schnee | xuě | ゆき |
水 | *akʷa- [water] | is(land) | aqu(a) | shuǐ | みず | ||
濕 | *wed- | wat(er), wet, wint(er), hyd(ro)- | und(a) | hud(ōr) | Wass(er) | shī | しめ(る) |
冬 | *ghei-/*ghiems [winter] | hiem(s), hiem(is) | dōng | ふゆ | |||
風 | *H₂weH₁-(nt)- | wind | vent(us) | fēng | かぜ | ||
狼 | *wlkʷ- | wolf | lup(us) | λύκ(ος) | Wolf | láng | おおかみ |
狐 | *wlp-e:- [fox] | vulp(es) | ἀλώπηξ | hú | きつね | ||
牛 | *gʷou- | cow | bo(s, -vis) | βοῦς | Kuh | niú | うし |
古 / 老 / 高 | *al-(t-) | old, (eld) | alt(us) | gǔ / lǎo / gāo | ふる(い), お[い(る)], たか(い) | ||
蜜 | *melit- [honey] | (mildew) | mel (mulsus) | μέλι | mì | みつ | |
雨 | *reg- | rain | rig(are) | regen | yǔ | あめ | |
圓 / 丸 | *wel- [round] | vol(vere) | ἕλ(ιξ) | yuán / wán | まる(い) | ||
王 | *reg- [king, rule, right] | right | rex, reg(num), reg(ula) | Reich | wáng | おう |
English Words
男狼 | werewolf | *wiro-wl̥kʷo |
男育了 | world | *wiro-al²-to |
Latin Words
飲飲o, 飲飲re, 飲飲i, 飲飲了us | bibo, bibere, bibi, bibitus |
食ibilis | edibilis |
父icius | patricius |
魚ina | piscina |
飲io | potio |
飲to, 飲tare, 飲tavi, 飲tatus | poto, potare, potavi, potatus |